Poet Simon Mole and musician Gecko
announce Spring 2019 tour of their new interactive family rap musical
Mole & Gecko: THE SHOW
Poet Simon Mole and musician Gecko have joined forces to collaboratively write and perform a new show for children and families, Mole & Gecko: THE SHOW, which will tour theatres in, and around, London in Spring 2019.
Mole & Gecko: THE SHOW is an interactive rap musical – rather aptly about a mole and a gecko – that the audience help create. There are live songs, rap stories, instant poems and a weasel with a serious biscuit problem. Join our heroes as they discover that what they thought they were searching for might be less important than what they find along the way.
The Spring 2019 tour will play the Half Moon Theatre (16 February), Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Maidenhead (20 February), Canada Water Theatre (2 March), The Albany Theatre (3 March), artsdepot (17 March) and Watermans Arts Centre, Brentford (7 April). Contact individual venues for booking information.
Simon Mole is a Poet, Emcee, and Theatre-maker. He built his skills on the Brighton hip-hop scene and has shared the bill with Simon Armitage, John Cooper Clarke and Kate Tempest. He has also been featured on BBC Radio 3’s The Verb. Simon co-founded Chill Pill Collective, curating and hosting popular poetry nights at Soho Theatre and the Albany, and was the first ever Poet Laureate for the London borough of Brent. Simon is an experienced facilitator with over 10 years’ experience working with rap and poetry in community and education settings, including projects with Great Ormond Street Hospital and Arsenal FC.
In 2012 he established Simon Mole Presents with immersive performance director Peader Kirk and producer Maeve O’Neill, since creating three full length shows for theatre spaces. Their partnership takes spoken word performance in a bold direction, with Simon’s intricately crafted poetic stories at the core of immersive entertainment and integrated participation. Indiana Jones and the Extra Chair toured nationally with sell out shows at Southbank Centre and Brighton Dome. No More Worries had a two week run at the Albany and sold-out shows at the Bush Theatre. Friends For All, commissioned by the V&A and toured with Half Moon Presents. Since becoming a Dad, Simon writes increasingly for young people. His first book for children is a collaboration with illustrator Oamul Lu, and will be published by Quarto/Lincoln Childrens Books in 2019.
Gecko is a Singer, Storyteller and Musician. A North London based artist, his playful lyrics cover the big things in life; think iPhones, libraries & Guanabana fruit juice to name but a few. Gecko has previously appeared at Glastonbury, Bestival, BBC Radio 1, 6 Music, BBC Scotland, BBC London and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In November 2017 he launched his debut album Volcano with a sold out London show, a session with John Kennedy on Radio X and a tour of Sofar Sounds shows across the UK and the Netherlands. Volcano was made ‘Album of the year’ in the Morning Star. Gecko has shared stages with the likes of Ed Sheeran, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Robin Ince, Josie Long, John Hegley and Billy Bragg.
Mole & Gecko: THE SHOW is written and performed by Simon Mole and Gecko, with direction & design by Peader Kirk and project management by Rua Arts. The production is funded by Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants and supported by Apples and Snakes, the Albany, artsdepot, Half Moon Theatre, Norden Farm, Roundhouse and Rua Arts.
LISTINGS – SPRING 2019 TOUR
Title: Mole & Gecko: THE SHOW
Age Guidance: 5yrs+. Running Time: 45mins
Half Moon Theatre, 43 White Horse Road, London E1 0ND
16 February: 11am & 2pm
Box Office: https://www.halfmoon.org.uk/ 020 7709 8900
Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, Altwood Road, Maidenhead SL6 4PF
20 February: 11.30am & 2pm
Box Office: https://norden.farm/ 01628 788997
Canada Water Theatre, 21 Surrey Quays Rd (Library/Theatre), London SE16 7AR
2 March: 1pm & 3pm
Box Office: https://www.canadawatertheatre.org.uk/ 020 7525 2931
The Albany Theatre, Douglas Way, London SE8 4AG
3 March: 1pm & 3pm
Box Office: https://www.thealbany.org.uk/020 8692 4446
artsdepot, 5 Nether Street Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley, London N12 0GA
17 March: 11am & 2pm
Box Office: https://www.artsdepot.co.uk/ 020 8369 5454
Watermans Arts Centre, 40 High Street, Brentford TW8 0DS
Box Office: https://www.watermans.org.uk/ 020 8232 1010